Letter from Private Harrold Consett Davis to Tom, 5 December 1916.

Egypt

5^th December 1916
PR82/8
AUSTRALIAN
WAR MEMORIAL
LIBRARY

Dear Tom

When I was at the base at

Abassia I had a letter from

you & again yesterday I

received one - I wrote a

postcard in acknowledgment 

straight away as one never

knows here when a chance

offers to write & it may be

days before such an 

opportunity crops up - Then

under these conditions, one

is apt to forget to whom

letters have been sent -

We I can write so only a

very little of subjects which

I consider would be of most

2

interest to you - such as

our actual work & movements

& the stereo typed stuff is

an insult to an intellectual

man's intelligence.

Since coming here we have

had to do our own cooking of

course - & wood, water, rations etc

are all allowed by measure and

after being used to a gidga

scrub the wood seems

horribly inadequate - & the

quality of same is a 

source of much quaint

& sometimes torrid comment.

it is mostly a kind of knotty

fig like wood - pulpy like

Kurrajong & as many turns

3

to the foot, as a 12 strand

stockwhip lace -  the whole

generously interspersed with

knots - "burns like horse

dung & about as warm" I

heard someone say, Blunt

axe too - of course.

We work in permanent

groups of 4 - same as the

sections of Light Horse but

with a group leader & always

fall in together - I am

group leader & on account of

my mature age & experience

I have been elected cook &

generally superintendent 

of the commissariat - it

is a tax to cook steak

4

or bacon, rice, porridge , tea,

& vegetables, in 4 small

mess dixies - but I make

a brave show & thieve

wood as well as the

next - many barbed-wire

posts out of the perimeter go

into the woodheap & no

mans tucker box is safe if

he leaves it empty.

The Egyptian style of riding 

working camels is a 

long way behind our own

& the object seems to be to

get the maximum amount 

of motion from the minimum

of locomotion - perched on

top of the hump - the

5

Camelias hump - one longs

for the Western Camel saddle

with stirrups & nose peg strings &

perfect control - howsumever

we manage to get through

our various evolutions to

the satisfaction  of our O/C.

- I had to leave this at

midday to go on parade

& subsequent mounted

drill - it is now nearly

"lights out", & I have only

just finished the washing up

with the assistance of my

several incompetent assistants.

So I'll make towards a

finish - mafeesh -

6

I am deeply sorry that

Amy's illness has been

so serious - tell her she

must buck up, as I

expect to get back & want

another stay at Lancefield.

We had a 3 days patrol

last week which was

interesting & in some

measure exciting & amusing-

I am looking forward to

such stunts as any thing

out of the rut is, at

least a break of the 

routine which becomes

very monotonous.

7

Thank you for calling

on Mrs. Davis & the children.

I am afraid that if Nullie

decides to accept Amy's

invitation to stay at

Lancefield, the youngest

Alexander will be some-

what trying - it would be

a great thing for Nullie

though.  I gather that the

eternal financial worry

is somewhat relieved by

Mrs. Duncan having purchased

the house in which the

Alexanders are living.

8

It is a magnificent 

moonlight night here -

Just at this moment

you will be thinking of

getting down for some

breakfast or lunch - about

11a.m.  it is 9 p.m. here -

so Se - Eda- & best regards

Yours Sincerely

H.C. Davis